Strike by Avianca's Colombian pilots is illegal, tribunal says

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

BOGOTA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - A Colombian tribunal on Friday declared illegal a strike by the majority of Avianca Holdings SA’s local pilots, a decision that may hasten the end of nearly three weeks of travel headaches for thousands of passengers.

Pilots from the Colombian Association of Civil Aviators, or ACDAC, began the walkout on Sept. 20 and are demanding salary and benefits changes they say will put them on par with the airline’s pilots in other countries. More than 700 of the company’s 1,300 Colombian pilots voted to strike.

The airline has been forced to cancel more than half of its flights on its domestic and international routes, affecting more than 300,000 passengers.

The Superior Tribunal of Bogota ruled that the strike is illegal because it interferes with essential public transport. The decision opens the door for pilots to be fired for taking part in the strike, which may push the union to call it off.

The ruling can be appealed by ACDAC.

Avianca has said the strike was illegal and called the pilots’ demands unreasonable. Pilots want reduced working hours and for Avianca to pay 70 percent of their monthly taxes, among other things.

In an effort to mitigate the effect of the cancellations, the civil aviation authority this week allowed the airline to bring in foreign pilots to fill in on some routes.

Avianca, a member of the Star Alliance and one of the leading airlines in Latin America, carried 29.5 million passengers in 2016. It has more than 21,000 employees and serves 105 destinations in 28 countries in the Americas and Europe.

Both ACDAC and Avianca are expected to comment on the ruling later on Friday. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Andrew Hay)